Pepsi unveils ‘Internet Taste Test’ for Next

Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo unveiled an “Internet Taste Test” for its new reduced-sugar Pepsi Next variety. Designed to be a digital incarnation of the product’s “Drink it to believe it” premise, the product’s marketing campaign encourages consumers to take their first sip of the cola at Walmart Supercenter sampling events, at similar events in 40 national cities or online via its Internet Taste Test.

The Internet Taste Test invites visitors to Pepsi Next’s Facebook page to watch themselves taste new Pepsi Next through improv comedy. Actors and comedians from Funny or Die do their best impressions of selected consumers, notable personalities and online personas trying Pepsi Next using information from their profiles, including recent experiences and “Likes.”

Based on fans’ submissions, a shoot will take place in Los Angeles over the course of five days, using simultaneous sound stages and 12 notable Funny or Die comedians. The fan videos will then be edited and posted back to selected user pages in approximately 24 hours of the shoot, the company said.

The feature kicks off with a video starring actor Rob Riggle who describes how the test works while watching his online persona “trying” Pepsi Next and referencing his “Likes,” which include skeet-shooting and painting with water colors. In addition to Riggle’s how-to video, fans also can watch video impressions featuring notable figures in social culture taking their first sip.

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